High-affinity calcium-stimulated, magnesium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase in Trypanosoma cruzi

Evidence of the presence of a calmodulin-sensitive plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase in Trypanosoma equiperdum

Trypanosoma equiperdum belongs to the subgenus Trypanozoon, which has a significant socio-economic impact by limiting animal protein productivity worldwide. Proteins involved in the intracellular Ca²⁺ regulation are prospective chemotherapeutic targets since several drugs used in experimental treatment against trypanosomatids exert their action through the disruption of the parasite intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis. Therefore, the plasma membrane Ca²⁺-ATPase (PMCA) is considered as a potential drug target. This is the first study revealing the presence of a PMCA in T. equiperdum (TePMCA) showing that it is calmodulin (CaM) sensitive, revealed by ATPase activity, western-blot analysis and immuno-absorption assays. The cloning sequence for TePMCA encodes a 1080 amino acid protein which contains domains conserved in all PMCAs so far studied. Molecular modeling predicted that the protein has 10 transmembrane and three cytoplasmic loops which include the ATP-binding site, the phosphorylation domain and Ca²⁺ translocation site. Like all PMCAs reported in other trypanosomatids, TePMCA lacks a classic CaM binding domain. Nevertheless, this enzyme presents in the C-terminal tail a region of 28 amino acids (TeC28), which most likely adopts a helical conformation within a 1-18 CaM binding motif. Molecular docking between Trypanosoma cruzi CaM (TcCaM) and TeC28 shows a significant similarity with the CaM-C28PMCA4b reference structure (2kne). TcCaM-TeC28 shows an anti-parallel interaction, the peptide wrapped by CaM and the anchor buried in the hydrophobic pocket, structural characteristic described for similar complexes. Our results allows to conclude that T. equiperdum possess a CaM-sensitive PMCA, which presents a non-canonical CaM binding domain that host a 1-18 motif.

Purinergic signalling in the gastrointestinal tract and related organs in health and disease

Purinergic signalling plays major roles in the physiology and pathophysiology of digestive organs. Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), together with nitric oxide and vasoactive intestinal peptide, is a cotransmitter in non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic inhibitory neuromuscular transmission. P2X and P2Y receptors are widely expressed in myenteric and submucous enteric plexuses and participate in sympathetic transmission and neuromodulation involved in enteric reflex activities, as well as influencing gastric and intestinal epithelial secretion and vascular activities. Involvement of purinergic signalling has been identified in a variety of diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, ischaemia, diabetes and cancer. Purinergic mechanosensory transduction forms the basis of enteric nociception, where ATP released from mucosal epithelial cells by distension activates nociceptive subepithelial primary afferent sensory fibres expressing P2X3 receptors to send messages to the pain centres in the central nervous system via interneurons in the spinal cord. Purinergic signalling is also involved in salivary gland and bile duct secretion.

A calmodulin-stimulated Ca2+ pump in plasma-membrane vesicles from Trypanosoma brucei; selective inhibition by pentamidine

Despite previous reports [McLaughlin (1985) Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 15, 189-201; Ghosh, Ray, Sarkar and Bhaduri (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 11345-11351; Mazumder, Mukherjee, Ghosh, Ray and Bhaduri (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 18440-18446] that the plasma membrane of different trypanosomatids only contains Ca(2+)-ATPase that does not show any demonstrable dependence on Mg2+, a high-affinity (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase was demonstrated in the plasma membrane of Trypanosoma brucei. The enzyme became saturated with micromolar amounts of Ca2+, reaching a Vmax. of 3.45 +/- 0.66 nmol of ATP/min per mg of protein. The Km,app. for Ca2+ was 0.52 +/- 0.03 microM. This was decreased to 0.23 +/- 0.05 microM, and the Vmax. was increased to 6.36 +/- 0.22 nmol of ATP/min per mg of protein (about 85%), when calmodulin was present. T. brucei plasma-membrane vesicles accumulated Ca2+ on addition of ATP only when Mg2+ was present, and released it to addition of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187. In addition, this Ca2+ transport was stimulated by calmodulin. Addition of NaCl to Ca(2+)-loaded T. brucei plasma-membrane vesicles did not result in Ca2+ release, thus suggesting the absence of a Na+/Ca2+ exchanger in these parasites. Therefore the (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase would be the only mechanism so far described that is responsible for the long-term fine tuning of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration of these parasites. The trypanocidal drug pentamidine inhibited the T. brucei plasma-membrane (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase and Ca2+ transport at concentrations that had no effect on the Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of human or pig erythrocytes. In this latter case, pentamidine behaved as a weak calmodulin antagonist, since it inhibited the stimulation of the erythrocyte Ca(2+)-ATPase by calmodulin.